Transcutaneous power transmission utilizing non-planar resonators

ABSTRACT

A system for omni-orientational wireless energy transfer is described. A transmitter unit has a transmitter resonator with a coil that is configured to be coupled to a power supply to wirelessly transmit power to a receiver unit. A receiver unit has a receiver resonator with a coil coupled to a device load. At least one of the resonators is a non-planar resonator that spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface having at least one concave portion.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/375,573, filed on Apr. 4, 2019, now allowed, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/796,983, filed on Jul. 10, 2015,now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,279,096, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/301,717, filed on Nov. 21, 2011, nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,079,043.

FIELD

Embodiments of the invention relate to wireless energy transfer; andmore specifically, to the transfer of energy from a power source outsidethe body to an implanted medical device inside the body.

BACKGROUND

In wireless energy transmission systems, resonators with planargeometries have been used in the power transmitter and receiver units tofacilitate the transfer of energy. Such planar resonators havegeometries that span a substantially flat surface with no dimensionalmeasurement on an axis orthogonal to the flat surface, or wheredimensions on an axis along the flat surface are orders of magnitudegreater than a dimension on an axis orthogonal to the flat surface.Transmission of power between the transmitter and receiver units relieson inductively or magnetically coupling the respective planarresonators. When the planar transmitter resonator carries an electricalcurrent driven by an external power source, magnetic flux is generallygenerated in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the transmitterresonator. A planar receiver resonator is then placed within a vicinityof the planar transmitter resonator and is oriented parallel to theplanar transmitter resonator such that the planar receiver resonator isable to effectively intercept the magnetic flux generated by thetransmitter resonator to produce an electrical current in the receiverunit.

The use of planar resonators is an effective approach for closelycoupled wireless power transmission systems to transfer energy betweentwo stationary objects that are in close proximity. For example, incharging pad applications, a planar transmitter resonator is embedded ina charging pad that is placed on a desk. When an electronic device, suchas a cellular phone, is equipped with a planar receiver resonator, andis placed on the charging pad, the two planar resonators are orientatedparallel to each other along the planes of the resonators. In thisparallel orientation, energy can be effectively transferred from theplanar transmitter resonator embedded in the charging pad to the planarreceiver resonator in the electronic device to charge the electronicdevice. Because the electronic device is not expected to move on itsown, the two planar resonators remain oriented parallel to each other tocontinuously charge the electronic device until the electronic device isremoved from the charging pad.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a system for omni-orientationalwireless energy transfer. The system may be particularly useful inapplications where energy is to be transferred wirelessly between twoobjects, and at least one of the objects is free to move around. Onesuch application is where energy is being transferred from a powertransmitter unit to a receiver unit that is part of an implanted medicaldevice. In such an application, while the transmitter unit may bestationary, for example, be plugged into a wall, a patient implantedwith the medical device and the receiver unit may be free to move aroundsuch that the relative orientation of the transmitter and receiver unitsis not fixed and may change.

In one aspect of the present invention, a system for wireless energytransfer includes a transmitter unit and a receiver unit. Thetransmitter unit has a resonator with a coil configured to be coupled toa power supply to wirelessly transmit power to a receiver unit. Thereceiver unit has a resonator with a coil coupled to a device load. Atleast one of the resonators is a non-planar resonator that spans anon-degenerate two-dimensional surface with at least one concaveportion.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method foromni-orientational wireless energy transfer includes the followingsteps. A resonator including a coil coupled to a power supply isprovided. Another resonator with a coil coupled to an electrical load isplaced at a separation distance from the other resonator. At least oneof the resonators spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface with atleast one concave portion to enable wireless energy transfer between thecoils regardless of their respective orientation.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a transmitter unit for usein an omni-orientational wireless energy transfer system to wirelesslytransfer energy to a receiver unit includes a non-planar resonator witha coil that spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface with at leastone concave portion. The transmitter unit also includes power circuitrycoupled to the coil. The power circuitry is configured to beelectrically connected to a power supply source to deliver an electricalcurrent to the coil.

In a different aspect of the present invention, a receiver unit for usein an omni-orientational wireless energy transfer system to receivewirelessly transferred energy from a transmitter unit includes anon-planar resonator with a coil that spans a non-degeneratetwo-dimensional surface with at least one concave portion. The receiverunit also includes an electrical load coupled to the coil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by referring to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrateembodiments of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a non-planar resonator according to one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a non-planar resonator according to anotherembodiment of the invention:

FIG. 3 illustrates a non-planar resonator according to a furtherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a non-planar resonator according to a differentembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a conceptual diagram of a system for wireless energytransfer according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a planar resonator used in a system for wirelessenergy transfer according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7A illustrates a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS)according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7B illustrates a TETS according to another embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 8A illustrates a TETS arranged in a particular orientationaccording to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8B illustrates a TETS arranged in a different orientation accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9A illustrates an method for omni-orientational wireless energyaccording to one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9B illustrates an method for omni-orientational wireless energyaccording to another embodiment of the invention;

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth.However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may bepracticed without these specific details. In other instances, well-knowncircuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail inorder not to obscure the understanding of this description.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment describedmay include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, butevery embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature,structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of oneskilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristicin connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed.

In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” along withits derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that the term“coupled” is used to indicate that two or more elements, which may ormay not be in direct physical or electrical contact with each other,co-operate or interact with each other. The terms “energy transfer,”“power transfer,” and “power transmission,” and their derivatives, areused interchangeably and refers to the transmission of energy betweentwo devices.

Although the use of planar resonators is effective for applications thattransfer power between two stationary objects, as the transmitter andreceiver resonators are moved or rotated into a non-parallelorientation, the rate of power transfer dramatically decreases. Even insystems that are capable of transmitting power over large separationdistances, no net power transfer will occur when the planar transmitterresonator is orientated orthogonal to the planar receiver resonator.Thus, in systems where the relative orientation of the transmitter andreceiver devices may vary greatly or is unknown, it is possible for thereceiver device to receive no power at all for an extended period oftime when the planar resonators are positioned orthogonal to each other.While this result may be inconsequential in certain applications, thisresult may pose a risk to the health of a patient if the receiver deviceis an implanted medical device that is used to assist critical bodilyfunctions, and a power storage unit, such as a battery, in the implantedmedical device is not promptly recharged.

An implanted medical device can be powered or charged using atranscutaneous energy transfer system (TETS) that transfers electricalenergy from an external power source to the implanted medical devicewirelessly through the skin of a patient. In a conventional TETS thatuses planar resonators, a patient is restricted to remain substantiallyin a fixed or known position relative to a power transmitter device inorder to sustain effective power transmission over an extended period oftime. For example, suppose a patient is implanted with a medical devicewith a planar receiver resonator and is resting on a bed. A planartransmitter resonator can be positioned on or embedded in the bed suchthat when the patient is laying flat on the patient's back, the tworesonators are oriented substantially parallel to each other to effectcharging of the implanted medical device while the patient rests.However, as the patient moves or rolls around in bed, the amount ofpower transfer between the planar transmitter resonator and the planarreceiver resonator implanted in the patient can drop to zero if thepatient turns to rest on the patient's side such that the resonators arenow orthogonal to each other. If the patient does not move from thisposition for an extended period of time, the implanted medical devicemay lose power completely to pose a risk to the patient.

In accordance to one embodiment of the present invention, a non-planarresonator to enable omni-orientational wireless energy transfer in awireless energy transmission system will now be described. A non-planarresonator is a resonator that spans a surface area occupying threespatial dimensions instead of two dimensions. For example, in oneembodiment, the non-planar resonator is a resonator that spans anon-degenerate two-dimensional surface with at least one concaveportion, such as an elliptical paraboloid surface. An ellipticalparaboloid surface is surface that is shaped like a bowl, with theinterior of the bowl being the concave portion. It should be noted thatin an elliptical paraboloid surface, when the concave portion isextended along the elliptical paraboloid surface, the concave portioncan extend out to infinite space. In other words, the concavity of theelliptical paraboloid surface does not wrap around and does not encloseon itself. In three-dimensional Euclidian space, an ellipticalparaboloid surface is described by the equation:x ² /a ² +y ² /b ² −z=0,where a and b are constants.In an exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 , the non-planar resonator100 spanning an elliptical paraboloid surface has a spiral wire coil102, such as a Litz wire coil, that starts at the center of the bottomof an imaginary bowl-shaped surface defined by the above equation, andspirals upwards along the sidewalls of the surface up to the rim of theimaginary bowl-shaped surface.

In some embodiments, there can be gaps 104 in between the loops of thespiral wire coil 102. The gaps 104 can be uniformly distributed, orthere can be portions of the wire coil that have wider gaps and otherportions that have narrower gaps. Similarly, the density of the wirewindings can also vary over the surface of the non-planar resonator 100.The geometries of the gaps and the density of the wire windings can beused to tailor the non-planar resonator to have a specific inductance ora specific capacitance to achieve a particular resonant frequency. Itshould be understood that this is just one example of a wire coilconfiguration that forms a resonator spanning a non-planar surface. Inother embodiments, the wire coil 102 can be configured differently toform a resonator that spans such a surface.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2 , the non-planar resonator 200 can bean elliptical paraboloid or bowl-shaped core 204 made of a magneticmaterial to direct magnetic flux. A wire 202, such as a Litz wire, forpurpose of exemplary illustration, is wrapped around that core 204. Thewire 202 can be wrapped around the core 204 from one side of thebowl-shaped core 204 to an opposing side, be wrapped around the exteriorsurface of the bowl-shaped core 204, or be wrapped along intersectingdiameters of the bowl-shaped core 204 as shown. In other embodiments,the wire 202 can be wrapped around the magnetic core 204 in otherconfigurations. As with the above embodiment, the density of the wirewindings can be tailored to achieve a particular resonant frequency.

In another exemplary embodiment, the non-planar resonator spans anon-degenerate two-dimensional surface that has at least two concaveportions, such as a hyperbolic paraboloid surface. A hyperbolicparaboloid surface is a surface that is shaped like a saddle, with thetop of the saddle being one concave portion and the bottom of the saddlebeing another concave portion. In one embodiment, the concave curvatureof one concave portion can be orthogonal to the concave curvature of theother concave portion. It should be noted that in a hyperbolicparaboloid surface, when the concave portions of the surface areextended along the hyperbolic paraboloid surface, the concave portionscan extend out to infinite space. In other words, the concavities of thehyperbolic paraboloid surface do not wrap around and do not enclose onthemselves. In three-dimensional Euclidian space, a hyperbolicparaboloid surface is described by the equation:x ² /a ² −y ² /b ² −z=0,where a and b are constants.In one embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 , the non-planar resonator 300spanning a hyperbolic paraboloid surface has a spiral wire coil 302,such as a Litz wire coil, that starts at the center of an imaginarysaddle-shaped surface and spirals outwards along the saddle-shapedsurface. In some embodiments, there can be gaps 304 in between loops ofthe spiral wire coil 302. In other embodiments, the wire coil 302 can beconfigured differently to form a resonator that spans such a surface.The geometries of the gaps 304 and the density of the wire windings canalso be used to tailor the non-planar resonator to have a specificinductance value or a specific capacitance value to achieve a particularresonant frequency.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4 , the non-planar resonator 400 can bea hyperbolic paraboloid or saddle-shaped core 404 made of a magneticmaterial to direct magnetic flux. A wire 402, such as a Litz wire, iswrapped around that core 404. The wire 402 can be wrapped around thecore 404 from one side of the saddle-shaped core 404 to an opposingside, or be wrapped across the center of the saddle-shaped core 404 asshown. In other embodiments, the wire 402 can be wrapped around themagnetic core 404 in other configurations. As with the other embodiment,the density of the wire windings can be tailored to achieve a particularresonant frequency.

More generally, a non-planar resonator according to embodiments of thepresent invention is a resonator that span a non-degeneratetwo-dimensional surface defined by one of the following equations inthree-dimensional Euclidean space:Ax ² +By ² +Cz ² =D, orAx ² +By ² +Cz=0,where A, B, C, and D are non-zero numbers.Surfaces defined by these equations are sometimes referred to asnon-degenerate quadric surfaces. In addition to the ellipticalparaboloid and hyperbolic paraboloid surfaces described above, anotherexemplary embodiment of a non-planar resonator that spans a surfacedefined by one of the above equations includes a non-planar resonatorthat spans a hyperboloid surface. One feature of such surfaces is thatthese surfaces have a parabolic cross section. A non-planar resonatoraccording to embodiments of the present invention can be implementedwith a wire coil that is formed to outline the shape of a non-degeneratetwo-dimensional surface. The wire that is used to form the coil can be,for example, a Litz wire. A Litz wire is generally referred to as a typeof cable used in electronics to carry electric current and may have manyindividually braided or woven strands of wire in one or more patterns atone or more levels to increase the amount of current passing througheach cable by increasing surface area and decreasing the resistance.Alternatively, the wire can be a strand or foil of conductive metal(e.g., such as copper, gold, or silver) with an insulated covering. Inother embodiments, the non-planar resonator can be implemented with awire, for example, a Litz wire, that is wrapped around a core ofmagnetic material, where the magnetic core has been molded or formed tohave a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface. In these embodiments, thecore of magnetic material is used to direct magnetic flux in variousdirections depending on the shape of the magnetic core. In someembodiments, the resonant frequency of the resonator can be in a rangeof 100 kHz to 10 MHz.

As indicated by the embodiments described above, the phrase that “aresonator spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface,” and similarderivatives, do not necessary require the resonator to have a solidsurface. Instead, as used herein, the phrase that a resonator spans anon-degenerate two-dimensional surface can mean that the resonator formsan outline of such a surface (e.g., the spiral coil), or mean that theresonator has such a surface (e.g., the magnetic core with a wirewrapped around the core). Furthermore, it should be noted that thephrase that “a resonator spans a non-degenerate two-dimensionalsurface,” and similar derivatives, also mean that the shape of theresonator may have minor features or deformalities that may deviate fromsuch a surface, without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention. For example, with respect to the embodiment with theelliptical paraboloid bowl-shaped surface, the resonator may have a flatbottom instead of a curved bottom, or the sidewall may have one or moreminor dimple indentations. It should be understood that such minorfeatures or deformalities do not detract away from the scope and spiritof the exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates an omni-orientational wireless energy transfer system500 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Theomni-orientational wireless energy transfer system 500 includes atransmitter unit 501 that has a transmitter resonator 502 with a wirecoil, and a receiver unit 511 that has a receiver resonator 512 with awire coil. In this particular embodiment as shown, the receiverresonator 512 is a non-planar resonator that spans an ellipticalparaboloid surface. In other embodiments, the receiver resonator 512 mayspan any of the non-degenerate two-dimensional surfaces described above.Furthermore, while in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 5 , it is thereceiver unit that has a non-planar resonator, in other embodiments, itcan be the transmitter unit or both the receiver and transmitter unitsthat have a non-planar resonator.

In the exemplary omni-orientational wireless energy transfer system 500shown in FIG. 5 , the transmitter resonator 502 is a planar resonator. Aplanar top view 600 of the transmitter resonator 502 is shown in FIG. 7. As shown, the wire that forms the transmitter resonator 502 in thetransmitter unit 501 spans a planar surface. More specifically, thetransmitter resonator 502 in this exemplary embodiment is a squarespiral wire coil with each loop of the spiral wire coil arranged insubstantially the same plane as each other. In other embodiments, otherplanar transmitter resonators may be used.

The transmitter unit 501 is configured to be coupled to a power supplyor a power source 520, for example, a wall electrical outlet, such thatwhen the transmitter unit 501 is powered, the power source 520 drives anelectrical current through the coil of the transmitter resonator 502.Alternatively, the transmitter unit 501 can be coupled to other powersources such as a battery that can be used to drive an electricalcurrent through the coil of the transmitter resonator 502. Consequently,magnetic flux perpendicular to the plane of the planar transmitterresonator 502 is generated by the electrical current running through thecoil of the transmitter resonator 502. Although not shown, it should beunderstood that the transmitter unit 501 may have additional powercircuitry, for example, to perform alternating current (AC) to directcurrent (DC) conversion, or vice versa, and may have additional controlcircuitry, for example, to modulate the power output of the transmitterunit 501. When the receiver unit 511 is brought within an operatingdistance of the system, the magnetic flux generated from the transmitterunit 501 induces a current in the receiver resonator 512 in the receiverunit 511, which causes an electrical current to flow in the coil of thereceiver unit 511. The coil in the receiver unit is coupled to anelectrical or device load 513. The electrical current flowing throughthe coil in the receiver unit 511 can then be used to power the deviceload 513. In the case that the device load 513 is a battery or othertypes of rechargeable power storage device as shown, the electricalcurrent flowing through the coil in the receiver unit 511 can be used torecharge the power storage device. In this manner, theomni-orientational wireless energy transfer system 500 is able towirelessly transfer power from the transmitter unit 501 to the receiverunit 511.

By using resonators in the transmitter and receiver units 501 and 511that have closely matched resonant frequencies, the power transferefficiency of the system 500 can be improved, and consequently, therange of distances of the omni-orientational wireless energy transfersystem 500 through which power can be transferred can be extended beyondconventional inductive coupling techniques. A resonator is an objectthat has a natural oscillation frequency. More specifically, withrespect to wireless energy transfer, a resonator is an object thatstores energy in two forms and exchanges the stored energy between thetwo forms continuously. In an electromagnetic resonator, stored energyis continuously being exchanged or oscillating between the electricfields of a capacitive element and the magnetic field of an inductiveelement. The oscillation decays or dampens due to resistive losses inthe resonator. Because of this oscillation, energy that is nottransferred from a transmitter to a receiver in one cycle of theoscillation is not lost completely. In other words, the stored energy ina transmitter can be transferred to a receiver through many cycles ofthe oscillation. This is in contrast to a pure inductive coupling systemwhere any energy stored in the magnetic field of an inductive elementthat is not transferred to a receiver at an instance is lost. At largeseparation distances, this energy loss in a pure inductive couplingsystem is significant and results in little or no meaningful amount ofenergy being transferred. In the wireless energy transfer system 500,the use of resonators allows most of the stored energy in thetransmitter unit 501 to be transferred to the receiver unit 511 overmany oscillation cycles as described above to improve the overall powertransfer efficiency of the system 500. As a result, the receiver unit511 can be placed at a separation distance further away from thetransmitter unit 501 and still allows a meaningful amount of energy tobe transferred over time.

While resonators have been used in wireless energy transfer systems toextend the communication/transfer range of the systems, the systems thatuse planar resonators are susceptible to changes in the relativeorientation of the resonators with respect to each other. A comparisonof a system that uses a non-planar resonator to a system that uses aplanar resonator with both systems having the same separation distanceand rated for the same output power may be as follows. The amount ofenergy that is received at the receiver in the non-planar resonatorsystem in a particular direction can potentially be less than the amountof energy that is received at the receiver in a planar resonator systemwhen the transmitter and receiver resonators are parallel to each other.In an exemplary embodiment, the amount of energy that is received in thenon-planar resonator system can be about 25% of the amount of energythat is received in the planar resonator system when the planarresonator system is arranged in its preferred orientation (when thetransmitter and receiver resonators are parallel to each other).However, although a planar resonator may be able to transfer more powerin a single preferred orientation, the amount of energy that a planarresonator system can transfer drops off dramatically when the system isarranged in other orientations and can drop to zero when the orientationof the transmitter and receiver resonators are arranged orthogonal toeach other.

By using a non-planar resonator 512 that spans a surface area occupyingthree spatial dimensions, for example, in the receiver unit 511, thesame transmitter unit 501 is able to couple or transfer energy to thenon-planar receiver resonator 512 over a wider range of spatialorientations as compared to a receiver unit having a planar resonator.Hence, at a given separation distance D that is within an operatingrange of the omni-orientational wireless energy transfer system 500,there is no requirement that the resonators 502 and 512 have to beplaced in any particular orientation with respect to each other in orderto transfer a meaningful amount of power required to power or rechargethe device load 513. In one exemplary embodiment, the system 500 is ableto achieve a power transfer between the transmitter resonator 502 andthe non-planar receiver resonator 512 at a given separation distance Dthat is at least 25% of a maximum power transfer (compared to a planarreceiver resonator) at that given separation distance D, regardless ofthe orientation of the transmitter resonator 502 relative to thenon-planar receiver resonator 512. For example, in an embodiment, powerin the range of 5 W to 20 W can be transferred from the transmitterresonator 502 to the receiver resonator 512 over a separation distance Din the range of, for example, 2.5 cm to 35 cm. The system 500 is able totransfer a maximum about of 20 W at a distance D of 10 cm when theresonators 502 and 512 are in their ideal alignment. Even when theresonators 502 and 512 are rotated or displaced from their idealalignment, the system 500 is still able to transfer at least 5 W ofpower to the receiver unit 511 at the same distance D of 10 cm. In otherembodiments, a greater or lesser amount of power can be delivered overother distances by adjusting the size and geometries of the resonators.The same concept of using non-planar resonators is independent ofdistance and can equally apply in a larger range of distances so long asthere is sufficient power for the signal to travel that range.

In some embodiments, the resonant frequency of the transmitter resonator502 can be 100 kHz, 500 kHz, 1 MHz, or 10 MHz. The receiver resonator512 is designed to have a resonant frequency that closely matches thetransmitter resonator 502. Hence, if the transmitter resonator 502 has aresonant frequency of 100 kHz, the receiver resonator is designed toalso have a resonant frequency close to 100 kHz, for example, within ±5%or ±10% of 100 kHz. In other embodiments, the resonant frequency of theclosely matched resonators 502 and 512 can be a frequency that is in therange of 100 kHz to 10 MHz. In further embodiments, other resonantfrequencies can be used.

In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 5 and as described above, thetransmitter and receiver resonators 502 and 512 are shaped differently.Even if both resonators are made of the same materials with the samelength of wire, each resonator may have a slightly different naturalresonant frequency due to differences in their geometries andconfigurations. In addition, other factors that may cause the resonantfrequency of one resonator to deviate from the resonant frequency of theother resonator include differences in the surrounding environment ofthe resonator. For example, one resonator may be subjected to adifferent temperature than the other resonator, or one resonator may besubjected to other extraneous objects that may affect the resonantfrequency, such as a nearby sheet of highly conductive material.

To improve the performance of the system, a tunable capacitor can becoupled to the coil of at least one of the resonators. A tunablecapacitor is a circuit or component with a variable capacitance valuethat can be changed in response to a control input. The control inputmay be voltage, current, frequency, or any other input that can causethe materials or circuit of the tunable capacitor to change itscapacitance value. Coupling a tunable capacitor to the coil enables theeffective capacitance value of the resonator to be adjusted. Byadjusting the effective capacitance value of the resonator using thetunable capacitor, the resonant frequency of that resonator can be tunedto match the resonant frequency of the other resonator of the system andto maximize a voltage gain at the receiver unit 511. Furthermore, notonly can the tunable capacitor be used to match the resonant frequenciesof the resonators, the tunable capacitor can also be used to define thesystem to reduce the amount of energy transferred from the transmitterunit 501 to the receiver unit 511 if the operating conditions of thesystem require less energy to be transferred. In other embodiments, anarray or network of capacitive elements can be coupled to the coil of atleast one of the resonators to tune the resonant frequency of thesystem. The array or network of capacitive elements can be configured toform different series and/or parallel arrangements of capacitiveelements to achieve an effective capacitance value for the resonator forthe same purposes as described above. Alternatively, a tunable ornetwork of inductive elements can be used to adjust the effectiveinductance of the resonator to change the resonant frequency.

In a further embodiment, at least one of the resonators 502 and 512 iscoupled to a tunable resistor or an array or network of resistiveelements to tune a quality factor “Q” of the system to maximize avoltage gain at the receiver unit 511. A tunable resistor is a circuitor component with a variable resistance value that can be changed inresponse to a control input. The control input may be voltage, current,or any other input that can cause the materials or circuit of thetunable resistor to change its resistance value. Similarly, an array ornetwork of resistive elements can be configured to form different seriesand/or parallel arrangements of resistive elements to achieve aneffective resistance value. For example, the resistive elements can beresistors, capacitors with effective resistance values, or a combinationof both. In an embodiment, an array of resistive elements can be anarray of capacitors, where the capacitors have the same capacitancevalues but different effective series resistance values. This allows theeffective resistance to be adjusted while keeping the effectivecapacitance the same.

The quality factor “Q” describes the inverse power loss of theresonator. Hence, a larger Q means a lower power loss in the resonatorand a higher energy transfer efficiency, resulting in a higher voltagegain at the receiver unit 511. The quality factor “Q” of a resonantsystem that has a transmitter resonator 502 and a receiver resonator 512can be described by the square root of the product of the qualityfactors of the two resonators 502 and 512. In order to reduce the powerloss in the system 500 to maximize the voltage gain at the receiver unit511, the quality factor “Q” of the system can be increased by increasingthe quality factors of either or both resonators 502 and 512. This canbe achieved by tuning a tunable resistor or an array of resistiveelements that is coupled to the coil of the respective resonator tomodulate and to match the impedance seen by the resonator.Alternatively, a tunable or network of capacitive and/or inductiveelements can be used to adjust the effective capacitance and/or theeffective inductance to change the quality factor “Q.”

In another embodiment, the power transfer efficiency of the system canbe further improved by using a flux concentrator made ofhigh-permeability, low-loss materials to direct the output magnetic fluxgenerated from the transmitter unit 501 towards the receiving unit 511.In embodiments that lack a flux concentrator, the magnetic fluxgenerated from the transmitter coil is spread around the transmittercoil, even in stray directions that are away from the receiving unit511. The use of a flux concentrator on the transmitter unit 501 cancreate a magnetic path to channel and redirect the generated magneticflux from those stray directions towards the direction of the receivingunit 511. Similarly, a flux concentrator can also be used in thereceiving unit 511 to redirect magnetic flux around the surroundingareas of the receiver coil towards the receiver coil.

To facilitate the tuning of the system using the techniques andcomponents described above, each of the transmitter unit 501 and thereceiver unit 511 may include additional communications circuitry suchas encoders, decoders, antennae, amplifiers, modulators, and filters, toestablish a communications channel between the receiver unit 511 and thetransmitter unit 501 to communicate system information between the unitsto adjust the components in order to modulate the power delivered to thereceiver unit 511. For example, wireless communications channel can be aradio frequency signal or other wireless signal transmissions includingWi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family). Bluetooth, infrared, and other well-knownwireless communications protocols. The system information communicatedover the communications channel can include performance data such as thebattery level and usage of the device load 513. Other performance datamay include the resonant frequencies, the impedances of circuits in thesystem, the voltages and loads of the system, the temperature of theresonators 502 and 512, and other data that can be used to tune anddetune the system. In addition, the system information communicated overthe communications channel may also include identification informationof the transmitter and receiver units 501 and 511, as well as commandsto change the system's settings or operating modes.

While the above embodiments have been described with the receiver unit511 having a non-planar resonator, in other embodiments, the non-planarresonator spanning the non-degenerate two-dimensional surface can be inboth the transmitter unit 501 and the receiver unit 511, or only in thetransmitter unit 501, because of the symmetry in the resonant couplingof the resonators. Hence, as long as at least one of the receiver ortransmitter resonators is a non-planar resonator that spans anon-degenerate two-dimensional surface, power can be transmitted at agiven operating distance regardless of one resonator's orientationrelative to the other resonator. This symmetrical property of the systemis particularly useful in applications where space is limited in thereceiver unit or where other factors such as extraneous objects restrictthe types of geometries that can be used in the receiver resonator.

One example of such an application is a transcutaneous energy transfersystem (TETS), where the receiver unit is part of an implanted medicaldevice. For an implanted medical device such as a ventricular assistdevice or a blood pump, the receiver resonator is configured forsubcutaneous placement within a human. Depending on the implant locationof the receiver resonator in the human body, the geometry of thereceiver resonator may be spatially restricted by the proximity ofnearby organs or other body structure. Hence, in such applications, itmay be desirable to have the non-planar resonator in the transmitterunit instead of the receiver unit. Different embodiments are alsopossible. For example, a non-planar resonator can be implanted in thethoracic/abdomen area, wrapping around a part of, or the entirecircumference of the body of a patient. The non-planar resonator can beformed to span a surface that takes after an undulating outline of theribs and general shape that contours around the rib cage.

In an exemplary embodiment, the dimensions of a non-planar implantedreceiver resonator may span a depth in a range of 0.5 inches (in.) to 2in. and be no bigger than 3 in. by 3 in. along the largest possible areaspanned by a cross section of the resonator. In other words, theimplanted receiver resonator may span a volume that is less than 3 in.by 3 in. by 2 in. In other embodiments, the implanted receiver resonatorcan have the largest possible area spanned by a cross section of theresonator to be an area as big as the human anatomy can allow as withthe case where a non-planar resonator wraps around the abdomen of thebody.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrates exemplary embodiments of a TETS 700 with aventricular assist device (VAD) 750 according to embodiments of thepresent invention. A VAD is a mechanical circulatory device that is usedto partially or completely replace the function of a failing heart. Forpatients suffering from congestive heart failure, the VAD is implantedinto the patient for long term use. VADs are designed to assist eitherthe right (RVAD) or left (LVAD) ventricle, or both at once (BiVAD). VADscan be designed with an axial flow or centrifugal flow configuration. Animpeller configured in an axial flow or centrifugal configuration can besuspended by journal bearing such as a ball and cup, or by a combinationof active and/or passive magnetic forces, or by a combination of passivemagnetic forces and hydrodynamic forces. In other embodiments, the bloodpump can be an artificial heart, which is designed to completely takeover cardiac function and may require the removal of a patient's heart.

The VAD 750 includes a pump assembly 713, a blood pump 714, arechargeable power storage device 716, and a power receiver unit 711.The rechargeable power storage device 716 may include two or morerechargeable batteries 715 to provide the VAD 750 with a backup batteryin case the stored energy in the primary battery is depleted or if theprimary battery fails otherwise. The rechargeable power storage device716 can be implanted in a location away from the blood pump assembly713, for example, in the lower abdominal as shown in FIG. 7A. The powerreceiving unit 711 includes a resonator 712 with a coil that is coupledto the power storage device 716, which is the electrical load of thepower receiver unit 711. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 7A, becausethe receiver unit 711 is implanted in the lower abdominal area wherethere may be less spatial constraints on the size and shape of thereceiver resonator 712, the receiver resonator 712 is the non-planar oneof the resonators in the TETS 700 and spans a non-degeneratetwo-dimensional surface including any of the surfaces described above.The resonant frequency of the receiver resonator 712 can be in a rangeof 100 kHz to 10 MHz. In an exemplary embodiment, the resonant frequencyof the receiver resonator 712 can be 100 kHz, 500 kHz, 1 MHz, or 10 MHz.In other embodiments, another resonant frequency that is safe for thehuman body can be used.

The TETS 700 also includes a power transmitter unit 701 that is externalto the patient. The transmitter unit 701 includes a transmitterresonator 702 with a coil that is configured to be coupled to a powersupply source 720 such as an electrical wall outlet. Alternatively, thetransmitter unit 701 can be coupled to other power sources such as abattery that can be used to drive an electrical current through the coilof the transmitter resonator 702. In this particular embodiment, thetransmitter resonator 702 is a planar resonator made of a planar wireloop. When the transmitter unit 701 is plugged into the electrical walloutlet 720, an electrical current is generated in the coil of thetransmitter resonator 702. The resonant frequency of the transmitterresonator 702 can be in a range of 100 kHz to 10 MHz. In an exemplaryembodiment, the resonant frequency of the transmitter resonator 702 canbe 100 kHz, 500 kHz, 1 MHz, or 10 MHz. In other embodiments, anotherresonant frequency that is safe for the human body can be used. Thetransmitter resonator 702 as part of the transmitter unit 701 may beembedded in a stationary object such as a wall, a chair, a bed, or otherfixtures such as a car seat or objects that do not move by themselveswithout external control or human assistance. The source of power for astationary and embedded transmitter resonator is generally alternatingcurrent from an electric outlet, but can also be direct current from abattery source. In other embodiments, the transmitter resonator 702 maybe part of a piece of wearable clothing such as a vest or a jacket, orother wearable accessories. In the case of a transmitter resonator thatis embedded into a piece of clothing or object wearable by a person thatmoves with a person, the source of power would be portable sizedrechargeable batteries that also could be worn by the patient.

When the receiver unit 711 in the patient comes within a separationdistance D of the transmitter unit 701, the TETS 700 is able towirelessly transfer energy from the transmitter unit 701 to the receiverunit 711 to recharge the power storage device 716 of the VAD 750. In oneembodiment, at a given separation distance D being in the range of 2.5cm to 35 cm, the transmitter unit 701 is able to deliver power in therange of 5 W to 20 W to the receiver unit 711 to recharge the batteries715 in the power storage device 716 of the VAD 750. By using anon-planar coil in the receiver resonator 712 in the receiver unit 711,the TETS 700 is able to achieve a power transfer between the transmittercoil in the transmitter resonator 702 and the receiver coil in thereceiver resonator 712 at a given separation distance D that is at least25% of a maximum achievable power transfer at that given separationdistance D, regardless of the coils' respective orientation to eachother. For example, in one embodiment, the TETS 700 is able to transfera maximum amount of 20 W at a distance D of 10 cm when the respectivecoils in the receiver and transmitter resonators 702 and 712 are intheir ideal alignment. As the patient moves around and causes the coilin the receiver resonator 712 to be orientated at a different anglerelative to the coil in the transmitter resonator 702 away from theirideal alignment, the TETS 700 is still able to transfer at least 5 W ofpower to the receiver unit 711 at the separation distance D of 10 cm. Inother embodiments, a greater or lesser amount of power can be deliveredover longer distances, for example, separation distances of 35 cm andbeyond, by adjusting the size and geometries of the resonators.

The use of a non-planar resonator that spans a surface area occupyingthree spatial dimensions in the receiver unit 711 according toembodiments of the present invention has the advantage over conventionalsystems that uses only planar resonators, in that the non-planarreceiver resonator 712 is able to couple with more magnetic fluxgenerated from the transmitter unit 701 in a wider range of spatialorientations. Hence, at a given separation distance D within anoperating range of the TETS 700, there is no requirement that theresonators 702 and 712 have to be placed in a particular orientationwith respect to each other in order to transfer a meaningful amount ofpower required to recharge the rechargeable storage device 716.

This advantage of the TETS 700 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In FIGS. 8A and 8B, thetransmitter resonator 702 as part of the transmitter unit 701 of theTETS 700 is embedded in a bed 800. Implanted in a patient are a VAD 750and a receiver unit 711 with a non-planar receiver resonator that iscoupled to the rechargeable batteries of the VAD 750. Whether thepatient is laying flat on the patient's back on the bed as shown in FIG.8A or is lying on the patient's side as shown in FIG. 8B, the TETS 700is still able to transfer a sufficient amount of energy to recharge therechargeable batteries of the VAD 750. This feature of the TETS 700according to embodiments of the present invention may not be possible inconventional systems that use only a single planar resonator for each ofa transmitter and a receiver. In a conventional system, the planarresonators in the transmitter and the receiver may be oriented parallelto each other when the patient is laying flat on the patient's back onthe bed as in FIG. 8A to effect energy transfer between the planarresonators. However, as the patient turns and lies on the patient's sideas in FIG. 8B, the planar resonators of such a conventional system maythen be oriented orthogonal to each other, which would result in zero orclose to zero amount of energy being transferred. If the patient fallsasleep and remains in this position for an extended period of time, thebatteries of the VAD 750 may deplete completely to cause the VAD 750 ofa conventional system to fail. This poses a risk to the patient if theVAD 750 losses power completely. Hence, by using a non-planar resonatorin a TEST 700 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention,this risk to a patient can be minimized by enabling energy transfer inthe system regardless of the orientation of the transmitter and receiverresonators relative to each other when the resonators are within anoperating distance range of the TETS 700.

Referring back to FIG. 7A, although not shown, the TETS 700 may includeany of the additional components and techniques described above to tuneor detune the system to modulate the power delivered to the VAD 750according to the needs and performance requirements of the patient. Inan exemplary embodiment, the transmitter and receiver units 701 and 711each include additional communications circuitry to establish a wirelesscommunications channel between the receiver unit 701 and the transmitterunit 711 to communicate system information between the units. The systeminformation can be used to adjust the tunable components of the systemto modulate the power delivered to the receiver unit 801. The wirelesscommunications channel can be a radio frequency signal or other wirelesssignal transmissions that are safe for the human body.

FIG. 7B illustrates a different embodiment of a TETS 760 in accordancewith the present invention. In this embodiment, the rechargeable powerstorage device 716 is implanted near the back shoulder of a patient asshown. Because the receiver unit 711 is implanted near the back shoulderof a patient, the geometry of a planar resonator may be more suitablefor implantation at that location than a non-planar resonator. As aresult, instead of using a non-planar resonator in the receiver unit711, the non-planar resonator is used in the transmitter unit 701instead. Hence, in this embodiment, it is the transmitter unit 701 thathas a non-planar transmitter resonator 762 to enable omni-orientationwireless energy transfer to a planar resonator 772 in the receiver unit711. Because of the symmetry in the resonance coupling of theresonators, as long as at least one of the receiver or transmitterresonators is a non-planar resonator that spans a non-degeneratetwo-dimensional surface, power can be transmitted at a given operatingdistance regardless of one resonator's orientation relative to the otherresonator. The operation of the TETS 760 is similar to those of the TETS700 of FIG. 7A, and hence a description of the operation of the TETS 760will not be repeated here.

The TETS in embodiments of the present invention can be advantageous inother scenarios as well. For example, a transmitter unit can beintegrated into a wearable vest that a patient can wear, and thetransmitter unit can be powered by a battery embedded in the vest. Thepatient can move around freely and go about the patient's dailyactivities while charging or powering an implanted VAD without requiringwires to connect the vest to the body and without the patient having toworry about the particular alignment of the vest to the body. Atransmitter unit can be integrated into an office desk or other officefurniture. As a patient moves around within the vicinity of the officedesk or other office furniture at work, an implanted VAD can remainfully charged throughout the work day. A transmitter unit can also beintegrated into an automobile such that a driver or a passenger with animplanted VAD can freely move around and adjust the person's sittingposition within the automobile while charging an implanted VAD.Transmitter units can also be integrated into an airplane to allow atraveler to freely move around the cabin on long international flightswhile charging an implanted VAD.

FIG. 9A shows a method for omni-orientational wireless energy transferaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. At step 902, atransmitter resonator including a transmitter coil coupled to a powersupply is provided. In this particular embodiment, the transmitter coilthat is part of the transmitter resonator is a coil that spans anon-degenerate two-dimensional surface with at least one concaveportion. When the power supply drives an electrical current through thetransmitter coil, magnetic flux is generated around the transmitterresonator. At step 904, a receiver resonator is placed at a separationdistance from the transmitter resonator. The receiver resonator includesa receiver coil that is coupled to an electrical load. When theseparation distance is within an operating range, magnetic fluxgenerated from the transmitter unit induces an electrical current toflow in the receiver coil of the receiver resonator. The electricalcurrent flowing through the receiver coil can then be used to power theelectrical load that is coupled to the receiver coil. Hence, power istransferred wirelessly from the transmitter resonator to the receiverresonator. By using a non-planar resonator that spans a surface areaoccupying three spatial dimensions in the transmitter resonator,magnetic flux is generated over a wider range of directions to enable areceiver resonator to intercept more of the generated magnetic flux in awider range of spatial orientations relative to the transmitterresonator.

In a different embodiment, for example, the method 950 as shown in FIG.9B, instead of the transmitter resonator, it is the receiver resonatorthat spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surface with at least oneconcave portion. In both instances, the principles of the operations foromni-orientational wireless energy transfer are the same. When at leastone of the resonators spans a non-degenerate two-dimensional surfacesuch as those surfaces disclosed herein, energy can be transferredbetween the resonators regardless of the orientation of one resonatorrelative to the other resonator. While the flow diagrams in the figuresshow a particular order of operations performed by certain embodimentsof the invention, it should be understood that such order is exemplary(e.g., alternative embodiments may perform the operations in a differentorder, combine certain operations, overlap certain operations, etc.).

Although some specific embodiments of the invention has been describedin relation to a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS) towirelessly transmit power to an implanted medical device through theskin of a patient, the advantages of using a non-planar resonator in awireless energy transfer system can be applied to other applications aswell. For instance, embodiments of the present invention can be used topower or recharge robots that are free to roam around a manufacturingfacility, where the orientation of a receiver unit in the robots mayvary relative to a stationary transmitter unit installed in themanufacturing facility. In general, embodiments of the present inventioncan be used in any application to wirelessly transfer energy between twoobjects, where at least one of the objects is free to move around suchthat the relative orientation of the two objects may change.

While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments,those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is notlimited to the embodiments described, can be practiced with modificationand alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thedescription is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for wireless energy transfer comprising:a transmitter unit including a transmitter coil configured to wirelesslytransmit power through a magnetic flux, wherein the transmitter coilspirals about a transmitter z-axis to outline a first shape of a firstsurface; and a receiver unit including a receiver coil configured towirelessly receive power through the magnetic flux, wherein the receivercoil spirals about a receiver z-axis to outline a second shape of asecond surface; wherein at least one of the first shape outlined by thetransmitter coil or the second shape outlined by the receiver coil is anon-planar shape occupying three spatial dimensions and having a concaveportion, and wherein the concave portion shapes the magnetic flux towirelessly transfer at least a portion of the magnetic flux at anoperating distance when an angle between the transmitter z-axis and thereceiver z-axis is within an operating angle range including an alignedangle at which the transmitter z-axis is parallel to the receiver z-axisand a misaligned angle at which the transmitter z-axis is orthogonal tothe receiver z-axis.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion ofthe magnetic flux transfers power from the transmitter unit to thereceiver unit when the transmitter coil and the receiver coil arephysically decoupled and freely movable relative to each other.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the transmitter coil and the receiver coilare freely movable relative to each other when the coils are notspatially restricted by an external structure.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the non-planar shape is a non-degenerate two-dimensional shape.5. The system of claim 1, wherein a power transfer between thetransmitter unit and the receiver unit is at least 25% of a maximumpower transfer between the units in any relative orientation of thetransmitter coil and the receiver coil within the operating distance. 6.The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter unit is coupled to apower supply, wherein the receiver unit is coupled to a power storagedevice, and wherein whichever of the transmitter coil or the receivercoil outlining the non-planar shape is configured to transfer themagnetic flux between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil suchthat the receiver unit intercepts the magnetic flux to induce anelectrical current that meets a power requirement of the power storagedevice regardless of a relative orientation of the transmitter coil andthe receiver coil within the operating distance.
 7. The system of claim1, wherein the transmitter unit and the receiver unit compriserespective communications circuitry to establish a communicationschannel between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit tocommunicate system information used to modulate a power output of thetransmitter unit.
 8. A unit for use in an omni-orientational wirelessenergy transfer system to wirelessly transfer power through a shapedmagnetic flux, the unit comprising: a first coil that spirals about afirst z-axis to outline a non-planar shape occupying three spatialdimensions and having a concave portion, wherein the first coiloutlining the non-planar shape is configured to wirelessly transfer atleast a portion of a magnetic flux with a second coil of a second unitat an operating distance when an angle between the first z-axis and asecond z-axis of the second coil is within an operating angle rangeincluding an aligned angle at which the first z-axis is parallel to thesecond z-axis and a misaligned angle at which the first z-axis isorthogonal to the second z-axis.
 9. The unit of claim 8, wherein thesecond coil outlines a second shape.
 10. The unit of claim 8, whereinthe portion of the magnetic flux transfers power from the unit to thesecond unit when the first coil and the second coil are physicallydecoupled and freely movable relative to each other.
 11. The unit ofclaim 10, wherein the first coil and the second coil are freely movablerelative to each other when the at least one of the coils is notspatially restricted by an external structure.
 12. The unit of claim 8,wherein the non-planar shape is a non-degenerate two-dimensional shape.13. The unit of claim 8, wherein the unit is coupled to a power storagedevice, and wherein the first coil outlining the non-planar shape isconfigured to transfer the magnetic flux between the coils such that thesecond unit intercepts the magnetic flux to induce an electrical currentthat meets a power requirement of the power storage device regardless ofa relative orientation of the coils within the operating distance. 14.The unit of claim 8, wherein the units include respective communicationscircuitry to establish a communications channel between the units tocommunicate system information used to modulate a power output of one ofthe units.
 15. A method of omni-orientational wireless energy transfer,comprising: providing a transmitter unit including a transmitter coilconfigured to wirelessly transmit power through a magnetic flux, whereinthe transmitter coil spirals about a transmitter z-axis to outline afirst shape of a first surface; and placing a receiver coil of areceiver unit at an operating distance from the transmitter coil of thetransmitter unit, wherein the receiver coil is configured to wirelesslyreceive power through the magnetic flux, and wherein the receiver coilspirals about a receiver z-axis to outline a second shape of a secondsurface; wherein at least one of the first shape outlined by thetransmitter coil or the second shape outlined by the receiver coil is anon-planar shape occupying three spatial dimensions and having a concaveportion, and wherein the concave portion shapes the magnetic flux towirelessly transfer at least a portion of the magnetic flux at theoperating distance when an angle between the transmitter z-axis and thereceiver z-axis is within an operating angle range including an alignedangle at which the transmitter z-axis is parallel to the receiver z-axisand a misaligned angle at which the transmitter z-axis is orthogonal tothe receiver z-axis.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the portion ofthe magnetic flux transfers power from the transmitter unit to thereceiver unit when the transmitter coil and the receiver coil arephysically decoupled and freely movable relative to each other.
 17. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising establishing a communicationschannel between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit tocommunicate information used to modulate a power output of thetransmitter unit.
 18. The method of claim 15, further comprisingdirecting an output magnetic flux from the transmitter coil towards thereceiver coil.